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Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter

Zanu-PF national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday came under fire from over 300 Goromonzi A1 farmers who accused him of double standards and outright dishonesty after he reportedly parcelled out their plots in Chishawasha B for residential settlement.The farmers yesterday staged a demonstration in Chishawasha B denouncing Cde Kasukuwere.

Cde Kasukuwere is also embroiled in another ugly scandal involving rigging of Zanu-PF primary elections in Norton that resulted in the revolutionary party losing to independent candidate Mr Temba Mliswa.

This also comes at a time when thousands of Zanu-PF youths who were allocated stands in Norton have lost the land after Government conceded that it was private property belonging to Maparahwe Property (Pvt) Ltd.

The land in Chishawasha B was allegedly sold to Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya while part of it was dished out to Cde Kasukuwere’s cronies.

Minister Kasukuwere is on record as saying that all transactions relating to Chishawasha B were can- celled.

Speaking to The Herald yesterday, the A1 farmers said it was not only illegal for Cde Kasukuwere to allocate that land for residential porposes, but also inhuman to dispossess because they were the rightful owners.

They produced offer letters signed by Goromonzi district administrator, a Mr H. Mandizvidza, and district lands officer a Mr W. F. Bika in 2010.

The offer letters confirm that they were each legally allocated six-hectare plots in Chishawasha B for farming purposes.

Chishawasha B falls under Goromonzi Rural District.

Cde Nhamo Jeke, who is the chairwoman of Grace Mugabe district in Chishawasha B, said they believed President Mugabe was not aware of what was happening in Goro- monzi.

“It is our humble appeal that the President should intervene in this matter,” she said. “We strongly believe that there are some people who are lying to him because we are not illegal occupants of this land as we are in possession of the relevant paperwork.

“We are receiving reports through the media that this farm was sold to (Prophet) Magaya and other people. Where does (Cde) Kasukuwere want us to go? I fail to understand the logic behind dishing out all the land forresidential stands as if people do not want to eat.

Another farmer, Cde Nyasha Nyawasha, said they had been paying money for land permits since they were given offer letters, but that had stopped soon after reports that the land was now earmarked for residential stands.

“We were again left out of the ongoing land audit because of those reports,” she said. “One other disturbing thing is that youths from Harare are the ones who are also expected to benefit from residential stands in this area as if we do not have youths here. What is special about the people from Harare?”

Another beneficiary, Cde Porshia Khumalo, said: “Cde Kasukuwere is killing the party. How are we going to mobilise the youths to support Zanu-PF when everyone else is always threatened with expulsion from the party?

“We are also bona fide citizens and we feel we should be treated as equal citizens.”

Cde Nhamo Kazembe, who is the Grace Mugabe district secretary for administration, said: “We have been staying here for the past 16 years and we were given offer letters in 2010. Farming is our livelihood and if they evict us from this farm as they are threatening to do they will be pushing us into the streets. How do they expect us to fend for our families?”

The farmers said they were receiving support from their local Member of Parliament, Cde Paddy Zhanda, but were worried about Cde Kasukuwere’s intentions.

They said they had knocked on several Government offices seeking assistance but to no avail.

Cde Kasukuwere could not be reached for comment yesterday.